Improvement in mechanism fof operating shuttle-boxes in looms



NJETERS. PMOTQUTHGGEAPHER. WASHINGYON. n. c,

UNITED STATES @PATENT @einem LUCIUS J. KNOVLES, OF VARREN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT iN MECHANISM EOF OPERATING SHUTTLE-BOXES IN LOOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. IIJLRG, dated Decen1ber13, 1870.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, L. J. KNOWLES, of

NVarren, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fancy Looms; and I do hereby decla-re that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents an end view of my improvements in fancy looms as applied to looms with three boxes. Fig. 2 represents an end View of inyimprovements as applied to looms with four boxes. Fig. 3 represents a section on line A B, Fig. 1, with a part of the framework and shafting broken off. Fig. 4 represents a section on line C D, Fig. 2,witl1 a part .of the frame-work and shafting broken off.

Fig. 5 represents the working parts shown in Fig. 1, after the main shaft has made one-half revolution. Fig. 6 represents different positions of the operating levers, cams, and ratchetwheels shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 represents in different positions the operating levers and cams .shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 8 represents further changes of the same.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my inventionbelongs to make and use the same, Iwill proceed to describe it more in detail.

The nature of my invention consists, rst, in the peculiar construction and combination of the levers and cams which move the boxes, as will be hereinafter described; second, in the peculiar construction, combination, and arrangement of the ratchet device employed for operating the shuttle-boxes.

The nature of my invention also consists in the-combination and arrangement of the back, is a hollow shaft, E, supported by bearings t, attached to the frame of the loom, inside of which hollow shaft is supported and turns i a shaft, F, both extending the length and beyond the ends of the loom, the ends of shaft F projecting beyond the ends of shaft E.

At one end of shaft E is fastened a ratchetwheel, G, and a star-shaped cam, II, (shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 5,) and at its other end is fastened a similar cam, I, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Figs. 4, 7, and 8.

To o ne end of the shaft F is fastened a similar ratchet, K, and cam L, while to its other end is shown fastened a somewhat larger cam, M, for the purpose hereinafter explained.

Upon the hollow shaft E, between the cam H and the bearing t, is slipped the hub c of arm N, which extends forward to beyond the circumference of the ratchet-wheels Gr and'K. Projecting from near the forward end of arm N is a stud, c, connected to the main shaft B by means of the crank a and connecting-rod b, by which the arm N is caused to oscillate when the loom is in motion, swinging freely on the shaft E. From lthe outside of the front end of arm N, which is made T-shaped, project two studs or pivots, c and c', upon which are hung and swing freely the pawls l 2 3 4. The. pawls l and 2 are made with small spurs or projections 5 and 6, extending downward through hooks or loops placed in the tops ofthe pawls 3 and 4, as shown in the drawings, and so arranged that when pawls 1 and 2 Yengage the ratchets the pawls 3 and 4 are raised, and when pawls 1 and 2 are raised pawls 3 and 4` engage the ratchets, pawls 1 and 3 operating the ratchet-wheel K and shaft F, andl pawls 2 and 4 operating the ratchet-wheel G on shaft E. The pawls l and 2 are connected by means of cords, chains, or rods i i to the levers f and g, which rise and fall with the changes vof the pattern-Wheel D. The pattern wheel D, ratchet d, and pawl-supporting arm d are all supported and work upon the stud 7L, which projects from the piece A, fastened to the frame A. The ratchet d and pattern-wheel are operated by the pawl-hook li, pivoted to the arm d', which is connected to the arm N by the rod lc.

From the frame at each end of the loom projects a stud, O,upon which work levers P, their fulcra being at o.

In the ends of the levers P are fixed pins which engage with the cains I-I and I upon the hollow shaft E, the other ends being furnished Q IBOJMIG with studs projecting outward, which form fulcra for the long levers It, as shown in the drawings.

To the forward ends of levers R are secured pivots p, to which are fastened the lower ends of rods S, which support the drop or shuttle boxes C, the rods S being slotted at their lower ends and secured to the pivots p by means of the set-screws m, which pass through their slotted ends, as fully indicated in the drawings, whereby the rods S can be adjusted to n support the boxes C at any desired height. Pins n in the other ends of the levers R engage with the cams on the shaft F.

'Ihe ratchet-wheels G and K are so constructed that the distance between the ratchets is twice the length of the arc described by the movement of the pawls. Therefore, when the ratchet-wheels have been move forward by the pawls 2 and 8 to the position shown in Fig. 5 they will remain in that position until the pawls l and 4L are lowered so as to engage the ratchets; hence it will be seen that each time the pawls are changed the ratchet-wheels and cams are moved forward a distance of onehalf tooth only, and there remain until the positions of the pawls are again changed, when they are moved one-half toothv farther. The pawls l and 2 always give the boxes au upward and the pawls 3 and 4 a downward motion.

The operation is as follows: A cam the size of cam I being substituted for the large cam M, (which is shown upon shaft E in the drawings for a purpose which will be hereinafter described,) theloom will be arranged for 'weaving with three boxes. The parts being in position as shown in Fig. l, the end of the lever I? being in the hollow of cam H, and the end of lever R at the point of cam L, the center box is now in position to receive the shuttle. (The blue lines in the drawings indicate the different positions.) The loom being started, the shaft B, making one-half revolution, brings up the arm N, with the pawls l 2 3 4, by means of the crank a and connecting-rod b, to

`the position shown in Fig. 5, the pawl 3 engaging the ratchet-wheel K and pawl 2 engaging the ratchet-wheel G, thereby turning the cams H and L one step, which brings the lever l? to the point of cam H and lever R to the hollow of cam L, which operation does not change the position of the boxes, as will be seen in Fig. 5. The remaining half-revolution of the shaft again carries the arm N back to the position shown in Fig. l, the rod k and pawlhook 7L moving the patternwheel D one step, which raises both the levers f and g, bringing up the pawl 2 and letting down pawl 4:, which, as the arm N again rises, moves forward the ratchet-wheel G and cam H, while the ratchet-wheel K and cam L re main stationary. 'Ihis movement brings both the leversl? and It into the hollows of their respective cams and moves the box to its lowest point, as shown in red lines, Fig. 6. The changes of the pattern-wheel l) then bringing both ofthe levers f and g down, the pawls 1 and 2 engage the ratchet-wheels G and K, moving both to the position shown inblack lines, Fig. 6, which brings the levers P and It both to the points of the cams H and L, thereby raising the boxes two steps to their highest point.

In applying my improvements to a loom with four boxes, large cams, like M, are applied to shaft F, in lieu of the small cams used in operating the boxes above described, thereby moving the boxes two steps with the motion of the lever R from the hoilow to the points of the cam IWI.

In Fig. 2 the boxes are represented at their highest position, the end of both levers I? and It being at the points of the cams M and I. Now, by moving the cams M one step the boxes are brought down two steps by the lever R, as shown in Fig. 7. 'Ihen by moving the cam L one step the levers are brought to the position shown by red lines in Fig. 8, the ends of both levers in the hollow of the cams and theboxes are brought to their lowest position. Again, by moving the cams M one step farther the vends of the levers Rare brought to the points of cams M, while the ends of the levers l? remain in the hollow of cams I, and the levers are in position, as shown in black lines,

Fig. 8, the boxes being moved to the position next to the highest. Again, the boxes may be moved regularly up or down one step or box at atime, an illustration of which may be given as follows: Comniencing with the boxes in the highest position, as shown in Fig. 2, cams I are moved forward, so that the pins in the rear ends of levers I? will rest in the hollows of said cams, thereby lowering the boxes one step or box, as shown in dark lines, Fig. Y

8. Both sets of the cams M and I are now moved forward one step, which brings the pins of leversR in the hollows of cams M, and the pins of levers l? to the points of cams I, thus lowering the boxes one step or box more, as indicated in Fig. 7. The cams I are now moved forward one step, bringing the pins in levers l? to the hollows of said cams, while cams M remain stationary,whereby the boxes are lowered one step or box farther, to the position shown by red lines in Fig. 8.

From the foregoing it will be seen that any box can be brought into the proper and desired working position without a back motion of the cams. It will also be noticed that lever R is made to move one or more boxes, either up or down, as may be desired, by reason of the peculiar action of lever l?, to which it is fulcrumed.

In the second change of the boxes in the illustration last above given, the effect of the movement of the cani M upon lever R would have lowered the boxes two steps, but for the action of cam I upon lever I), which raised at the same time the fulcrum of lever R, thereby producing what I call a discount of one step, which resulted in the lowering of the boxes one step only. Again, if the boxes are down, as shown in red lines, Fig. 8, and it is more, or to the position indicated in dark lines,

Fig. 8. The discounting 7 operation taking place, cams I are now moved forward one step, which raises the boxes one step more, or to the highest point, as shown in Fig. 2.

Having described my improvements in fancy looms, what I claim therein as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with each cam for operating the boxes, of a ratchet with half the number of teeth there are steps in the cam, and two oscillating pawls, each of which will move the ratchet forward a distance equal to one-half the length of the ratchet-tooth, serving the one to raise and the other to lower the boxes, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with the cams, ratchets,

and pawls, operating together, as claimed in the preceding clause, the compound lever for raising and lowering the drop-box composed of two levers pivoted one to the other, and actuated by their several cams in the manner set forth, the cams and levers being constructed and arranged as specified, so that the range of movement of one of thelevers shall be double that of the other, to admit of the discounting operation herein described.

3. The combination of the spurs or projections 5 and 6 on the pawls l and 2 with the' loops or hooks on the pawls 3 and 4, substantially as shown ,and for the purposes described.

4. The combination and relative arrangement of. shafts E F, ratchets G K, cams H L, pawls l 2 3 4, arms N, and connections bk it, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination and relative' arrangement of the levers l? R, cams H L, ratchetwheels G K, and arm N, with shafts E F, pawls l 2 3 4, rod S, and connections b k t i, substantially as and lfor the purposes set forth.

LUCIUS J. KNOVVLES.

Vitnesses:

Tiros. H. DODGE, D. L. MILLER. 

